Desolate
by
davidus428Comment by davidus428: hi heather, thanks for your critique.
just want to respond to some of your comments
- the room was really dimly lit. Fortunately there was a small window about 6 feet over her head which was my only source of light. I couldnt use flash and there was not much preparation to take the shot. I just took it. I was by the door, outside the room full of beds where all these women were lying (you could see the next one behind her which I cropped). i was about 30 feet away.
- i enhanced the photo using curves, rendered in black and white and then used curves again. in my monitor, only the lower part of the face is dark but i still can see some details.
- the eyes really have no glow, no whites. old ladies with almost dim vision (or lack of sight) would have reddish rather than pearly white eyes (of the pro models). In fact, i was happy to capture two tiny white dots (catch lights) that show her teary eyes.
- the white "thing" hanging on her mouth are actually pieces of rice. somebody was not finished feeding her, I guess, before the photo was taken. more than distraction, it added to the story IMHO.
- the lady can't fend for herself, the hands were awkwardly positioned, yes, but that was it that caught my attention. you're right tho, there's nothing appealing with a sad photo like this.
- there were aroung 30 women there in that cramped, dark room. I only took pictures of two ladies and this was the one I chose to enter.
- if i had my second chance, i'll give more attention to add more sharpness.
thanks again.
Originally posted by HBunch:
*Critique Club*
This image is so very dark. The 2 areas of interest to me are the face and hands, and they both seem to be hidden away in the darkness. I would have preferred to see some extra lighting or something in those areas. The eyes for example are too dark for me to really gather an expression from her.
One thing for me that is a distraction is the thing hanging out of her mouth? It's so much lighter against the darkness of the photo in that area that it stands out a lot and is definately unappealing.
Now, I would expect a photo of 'failure' to probably not be very attractive, but non the less, it doesn't make it any more interesting for me to look at.
The shot evokes emotion. I feel bad for the lady and am saddened by her situation, but at the same time, it's just not appealing to look at as an image.
Maybe a good photojournalism shot. Focus is dead on. Nice crisp lines throughout, with a properly blurred background to eliminate background distractions.
I like the positioning of her, and the framing you chose. He hands confuse me. They are at a very awkward angle, almost like there is another person's hand in the pic.
Overall, powerful image. Not much else to add.
~Heather~ |
Message edited by author 2006-06-08 08:40:09. 
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